4
q
your health
THE
drug-related death of
actor Philip Seymour Ho man in
February once again brought to the
forefront the epidemic of drug abuse
in the U.S. But for every celebrity
whose drug problems make the
headlines, there are thousands of
other people who struggle with an
addiction to drugs and alcohol—
even in the family-oriented suburbs
of Simi Valley, Moorpark and the
surrounding
communities.
“On average,
we see a heroin-
related issue in
the Emergency
Department
at Simi Valley
Hospital every single day,” said Julia
Feig, RN, director of Emergency
Services at the hospital. “We also see
issues related to prescription drug
abuse daily.”
For those who want help for
their drug or alcohol addiction,
there is a di cult and o en painful
road ahead.
“ e process of quitting can be a
daunting barrier due to the intense
physical and psychological impact,”
Feig said. “ at weaning process
is o en a huge deterrent to staying
‘clean’ following an overdose.”
Coming clean
Simi Valley Hospital’s new
inpatient acute detox program is
helping people addicted to drugs
or alcohol take the important
rst steps in the recovery process
in a medically controlled,
supportive environment.
Patients who are
admitted into the
program through
the hospital’s
Emergency
Department or by
direct admission
from their
physician spend three to ve days
in the hospital undergoing medical
detox, where the physical e ects of
the detoxi cation process can be
safely managed.
In addition to the medical
intervention, social workers and case
managers work with patients and
their families to create a treatment
plan that addresses both the
physical and psychological aspects
of addiction, arrange for ongoing
addiction counseling at outpatient
treatment facilities and make
referrals for any necessary medical
follow-up.
Community request
e idea for the inpatient acute
detox program was born out of
comments from area government,
health, school and civic leaders who
attended a community meeting
last fall, which was held as part
of Simi Valley Hospital’s triennial
community health needs assessment.
“One issue that came up during
that meeting was access to services
for addiction,” said Brian Ruditsky,
director of Business Development at
Simi Valley Hospital. “ e hospital
didn’t have a formal medical detox
program with referral to follow-up
services, and it was clear that this
is something our community really
wants and needs.”
e program, he said, integrates
into the broader community.
“Our inpatient acute detox
program complements the work
that other organizations are already
doing throughout our community,”
Ruditsky said, “and supports those in
our community who want to choose
a di erent path.”
A safe way out
New program supports addiction recovery
You can access
our health library at
SimiValleyHospital.com
.
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